Machine and method for assembling shells and perforated end members



June 22, 1943. F. MUTHER MACHINE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SHELLS AND PERFORATED END MEMBERS Filed June 26, 1940 w I III Patented .lune 22, 1943 UNiT'ED STATES.

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR ASSEll/EBLENG SHELLS AND PERFORATED END MERE- BERS i Claims.

This invention relates to machines for assembling shells and perforated end members. An example of the resultant product is a breathing element for use in making mattresses. Such a breathing element consists of an elongate tubular shell having a perforated flat member secured in one end thereof. These breathing elements are used to secure the sides of a mattress together and to permit the passage of fresh air from the exterior to the interior of the mattress. The perforated end members prevent the passage of bugs, insects and the like into the interior of the mattress.

Although mattress breathing elements have been used for many years, so far as I am aware the machine described herein is the first machine adapted to automatically assemble the shells and the perforated end members.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and efficient machine for auto- :matically assembling elongate shells and perforated end members.

Other objects are the provision of means to automatically and continuously feed elongate shells and perforated end members to a position in which the center of the end member coincides with the axis of the shell; the provision of a spindle having an end portion of reduced diameter adapted to enter the shell and the central perforation of the end member; and the provision of clenching means adapted to cooperate with said spindle and said feeding means to clench the end of the shell about a portion of the face of the end member.

Another object is the provision of a novel method of assembling an elongate shell and a perforated end member.

set, the end of the raceway and the bottom set of the machine of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation looking from left to right at Fig. 3, but with the top set and raceway in an advanced stage of operation; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through the top and bottom sets in clenching position. i

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 each breathing element consists of an elongate tubular shell 50 and a perforated flat end member 55. The shell has an outstanding flange 5! the edge 52 of which (Fig. 6) is clenched over a portion of the face of the end member 55. Each end member is provided with a centrally disposed perforation 56 and in the completed breathing element the longitudinal axis of the shell 50 substantially coincides with the center of this perforation.

The frame 5 i of the machine is secured to the base H which may be supported upon a bench or table (not shown).

The bottom set I2 is supported by the horizontal arm i2 which is secured to the frame I l. A thumbscrew l 2; is provided to adjust the height of the bottom set. A centrally disposed member M is supported upon a coil spring 15 located in the chamber Iii in the upper end of the bottom set. This memberl i may be forced downwardly against the spring t5 and when the downward pressure is released the spring returns it to the normal elevated position shown in Fig. 4. The pin 60 (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) has its ends secured in the body of the bottom set and it passes loosely through the slot 6! in the member it. This pin til acts to limit the upward and downward movement of the member M.

The fingers 18 are supported upon the bolts I9 which pass loosely through perforations in the fingers and are screwed into the bottom set l2 (Fig. 4). Springs 26 have one end seated on the side of the fingers i8 and the other end seated upon the nuts 2!. These springs tend to hold the fingers in engagement with the sides of the bottom set as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4. and 6 the tips of the fingers l8 are normally closer to each other than the diameter of the flange 5i of the breathing element shell and the fingers are forced apart by the flange 5! as it descends upon them, so that they grip and hold the flange as shown in Fig. 6.

The top set 23 is mounted for vertical reciprotion, such movement being effected by a clutch and drive shaft (not shown) which are controlled by a foot pedal (not shown). When the foot pedal is tripped the top set is moved downwardly from its uppermost position to the clenching position shown in Fig. 6, and it is then ele- Vated again to its uppermost position where it remains at rest until the foot pedal is tripped again.

The spindle 24 is mounted for vertical movement in the axial bore of the top set. The spindle is provided with an integral collar 25 which supports a coil spring 26. The coil spring normally holds the spindle in the position shown in Fig. 4, but when sufficient pressure is brought to bear against the end of the spindle it is moved vertically against the pressure of the spring 26 to the position shown in Fig. 6. The lower portion 21 of the spindle is of a reduced diameter, the diameter being such that it will enter the central perforation 55 of the flat end member of the breathing element and will hold it as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The diameter of the upper portion of the spindle is such that it will enter the shell of the breathing element and will hold it as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A chamber 28 is provided in the end of the top set, this chamber being of sufficient size to loosely receive the shell of the breathing element.

An upper raceway 3i] and a lower raceway 3| are provided to feed the breathing element shells 50 and the end members 55, respectively, to the proper positions beneath the spindle and top set. As'shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, each raceway consists of bars 32, fillers 33 and spacers 34 providing slots 35 and 36 to loosely receive the :flange SI of the shell 55 and the end members 55, respectively.

The upper end of the raceway 30 communicates with a hopper (not shown) which contains a supply of shells 50. This hopper is provided with areciprocating brush which causes the shells to pass through an opening in the hopper Wall and into the upper end of the raceway 35 in the proper position. The shells pass down the raceway by gravity to the positions shown in Fig, 5.

The upper end of the raceway 3| communicates with a hopper (not shown) containing a supply of end members 55 and a rotating brush which forces them through an opening in the hopper wall and into the upper end of the raceway down which they pass by gravity.

The raceways 30 and 3| are pivotally mounted upon the frame of the machine so that the ends of the raceways may be rotated toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the upper set. In normal position the ends of the raceways are located beneath the end of the spindle so that the axis of the lowermost shell and the center of the lowermost end member substantially coincide with the axis of the spindle (as shown in Fig. 4) From this position the ends of the raceways are rotated away from the spindle to the position shown in Fig. 5 in which position the top set may pass downwardly without contacting the raceways. After the top set has returned to its uppermost position the ends of the raceways are rotated back to the original position beneath the top set and spindle. This slight rotation of the raceways about their pivotal connection to the frame is accomplished by a cam (not shown) which is automatically set in operation during each depression of the foot pedal.

Upon each operation of the foot pedal the top set and spindle move downwardly and the spindle enters the shell 53 and the central perforation of the end member 55 which are then supported respectively by the ends of the raceways 30 and (Fig. l). The raceways are then rotated away from the longitudinal axis of the top set to the position shown in Fig. 5 and the shell and endmember are retained one above the other upon the spindle (Fig. 5). The top set and spindle then continue their downward movement until the tip' of the spindle engages the center of the member I 4. This engagement arrests the downward movement of the spindle and compresses the spring 26. The top set continues downwardly and pushes the shell and the end member downwardly along the spindle which is then stationary. The member l4 receives the end member 55 and resiliently presses it within the flange of the shell 50. As it descends the flange 5| of the shell causes the fingers l8 to separate slightly and the pressure of the springs 20 causes these fingers to grip and hold the flange. The top set then continues to move downwardly to the clenching position shown in Fig. 6. During this final clenching movement the end 52 of the flange 5| of the shell is directed inwardly by the annular groove ll in the surface of the bottom set. The result is a completely assembled breathing element as shown in Fig. 6.

The top set then is automatically moved upwardly to its original position, the spindle is automatically returned to its original position by the spring 26, and the ends of the raceways are rotated inwardly by the cam to their original position beneath the top set. As the ends of the raceways approach their position beneath the top set the end of the lower raceway 3| strikes the side of the completed breathing element and topples it over freeing it from the fingers l8. A container may be placed on the arm [2 to catch the completed elements as they fall from the bottom set.

As soon as a shell and an end member are removed from the ends of the respective raceways the next shell and end member slide into position, as shown in Fig. 5. Spring catches (not shown) are provided at the ends of the raceways to prevent the lowermost shell and end member from falling away from the ends of the raceways until they have been pierced by the spindle.

Thus as soon as the top set reaches its upper most position the apparatus is in condition to immediately assemble the next succeeding breathing element and by tripping the foot pedal the cycle of movement of the top set and the raceway is repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a machine made in accordance with this invention is fully automatic and that it is only necessary for the operator to trip the foot pedal for the assembly of each breathing element.

I claim:

1. In a machine for assembling a shell and a centrally perforated member having a bottom set, a top set having its longitudinal axis substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the bottom set, means for feeding an elongate shell to a position in which its longitudinal axis substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the top set and means for feeding a centrally perforated member to a position adjacent one end of said shell with its central perforation substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said shell and with the longitudinal axis of said top set, the improvement which comprises a spindle adapted in its movement toward said bottom set to first pass through said shell and to then pass through and frictionally engage the central perforation of said perforated member whereby said shell and perforated member are aligned about said spindle in position for final assembly and means to operate said feed means and spindle in proper sequence.

2. Method of assembling an elongate shell and a centrally perforated end member comprising the steps of first passing the end portion of a spindle through the longitudinal axis of the shell, then passing said end portion through and into frictional engagement with the central perforation of said end member thereby to retain said end member and said elongate shell about said spindle with the central perforation of said end member substantially coinciding with the longitudinai axis of the shell, then moving said shell longitudinally of the spindle toward said end member until its adjacent end encircles the side of the end member and then clenching said end of the shell inwardly over a portion of the face of the end member.

3. Method of assembling an elongate shell and a centrally perforated end member comprising the steps of arranging a shell and perforated end member in a position in which the longitudinal axis of the shell coincides with the longitudinal axis of the central perforation of the perforated end member, then passing the end portion of a spindle through the longitudinal axis of the shell, then passing said end portion through and into frictional engagement with the central perforation of said end member thereby to retain said end member and said elongate shell about said spindle with the central perforation of said end member substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the shell, then moving said shell longitudinally of the spindle toward said end member until its adjacent end encircles the side of the end member, and then clenching said end of the shell inwardly over a portion of the face of the end member.

4. In a machine for assembling a shell and a centrally perforated member having a bottom set, a top set having its longitudinal axis substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the bottom set, means for feeding an elongate shell to a position in which its longitudinal axis substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the top set and means for feeding a centrally perforated member to a position adjacent one end of said shell with its central perforation substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said shell and with the longitudinal axis of said top set, the improvement which comprises a spindle having an end portion of reduced diameter and an adjacent portion of larger diameter, the end portion of said spindle being adapted in its movement toward said bottom set to first pass through said shell and to then pass through and frictionally engage the central perforation of said perforated member whereby said shell and perforated member are aligned about said spindle in position for final assembly, and means to operate said feed means and spindle in proper sequence.

LORENZ F. MUTHER. 

